1985 - The Homecoming Parade
by johmichaels
Summary: Following a series of harrowing adventures, Peri asks to return home, but finds the Doctor has mistakenly left her in Australia instead. While Peri tries to manage, with the support of an old friend of the Doctor's, the Doctor explores a mysterious circus set up in the park, and finds himself menaced by the villianous Ringmaster.
1. Chapter 1

"Now, you were saying you wanted to go somewhere nice," the Doctor said, moving quickly around the console to operate controls. "So many places to choose from. Peladon is having their regal jubilee, Florana has a wonderful flower show, and of course there's always B-"

"Doctor, I think I want to go home now."

The words landed like a thud. The Console room always had a noticeable hum filling the space, and Peri was not speaking loudly, but still her words drowned out all other noise, and left a sudden silence after she finished. The Doctor, perched over the console, preparing to set the coordinates for their next journey did not turn away from the console to look back at Peri, but he did stop moving for a while as Peri's words sunk in.

"Yes...well...is there a particular reason?" he asked after a time.

"We originally said three months, right?" Peri asked, turning away from the Doctor. Even though he was not looking at her, a part of her still wanted to avoid any chance of eye contact further. "Three months then I go back home, vacation over. I know it's hard to measure time in the TARDIS, and there's so much that has happened since then, I wouldn't blame you if it slipped your mind, but it feels like I've had more than three months pass. So maybe it's time to go home."

The Doctor looked up from the console, but still didn't turn back to look at her.  
"A lot has changed," he said slowly. "Particularly around me, I assume?"

"It's not that!" Peri said quickly, nervously, turning and reaching over to touch his shoulder, only to withdraw her hand and turn back before contact could be made. "It's not just that, at least. It's just different. We've seen...I've seen a lot of death, more than I ever had before I met you."

The Doctor turned to face Peri, showing an expression of pain.

"And do you think I wanted that?"

Peri avoided his eyes, looking downwards as she answered "No, of course not. It's just...I just want to see my family again. Losing so much, it makes me want to return to those who matter to me. Head back to Baltimore and get to see Mum again for Thanksgiving or Christmas."

"Very well, then home you shall go," the Doctor said, then turned abruptly back to the console, turning dials and flicking switches without another word. The central column in the console rose and sunk slightly, while the room slightly shook around them. Peri steadied herself by holding onto the console. A wheezing groaning noise showed, as the central column slowed to a halt, that the TARDIS has landed.

"This is it?" Peri asked, excitedly. "I'm back in Baltimore."

The Doctor did not turn to look at her, just waving in the direction of the door as he said "Yes, yes. Exactly where you wanted to be. Off you go then."

As the Doctor pushed down on the red door level, the large console doors opened behind Peri. She turned and saw a suburban row of houses, below a beautiful blue skyline. A smile crept across her face as she felt Earth's sunshine on her face again. She began to take the last step to return to Earth when she paused to look at the Doctor, who was still looking at the console.

"Would you like to come and meet my family, Doctor? Tell them what we've been up to all these months?"

The Doctor did not making any gesture or show any attention towards Peri except to say "No."

Peri stepped backwards, feeling off put by the Doctor's coldness.

"I guess this is goodbye then?" Peri asked, raising the tone of her voice, to encourage a response.

"Goodbye," the Doctor answered casually.

Peri felt pain like pinpricks around her eyes as she began to feel tears build up. She knew the Doctor was changed, but was not prepared for this. But stronger than that was a desire to get away, get far away from the TARDIS and deal with how this situation had effected her when she was far gone from the Doctor.  
So she stepped out of the TARDIS, and walked quickly, almost running, as far from the Doctor as she could, and towards anything that looked familiar. Internally her thoughts were racing. How could the Doctor have been so uncaring? Was there time together so easy for him to forget? She knew the Doctor had travelled with others before her, and she wondered if he would just easily replace her.

Then a stronger thought went through her mind — where was she? Peri stopped in her tracks, and looked around. The streets that seemed familiar when she first saw them through the TARDIS doors now looked generic and indistinguishable from each other. The climate felt warm, and humid, more like Florida than Baltimore.

Thankfully the streets had plenty of people walking through them this time, and Peri soon spotted a tanned man around her age walking towards her.

"Excuse me sir!" she called out to him.

The man look up, and answered simply "Yeah," in an accent Peri instantly recognised was not American.

"I'm a bit lost," she explained walking closer to the man. "I'm a traveller, and don't know where I am right now."

"Easy," the man answered. "You're on Mercer street, around the corner from Brissie hotel. That's where most of the backpackers and hold up for the night, should be able to give you some pointers."

Peri was not sure she entirely understood what the man was saying. "Brissie hotel?" she asked confused.

The man laughed, "You are lost! You know, Brissie Hotel. Brisbane Hotel! Give a couple of hours you'll be able to hear it soon enough."

Peri's heart sank, and she knew what the answer was going to be before she asked her next question, but had to ask just the same, to be sure.

"Brisbane...Australia?"

The man gave her a confused look, "Of course Brisbane, Australia. Are you all right?"

No, thought Peri, no I'm not all right. A man I thought was my friend didn't seem to care that I wanted to go home to Baltimore, America, and just absent mindedly dropped me on the opposite side of the world in Brisbane, and I have no idea how to get back.

But where could she start with that story? So all she said was "Yes, fine. Thank you," and walked away.

* * *

"Well then," the Doctor began, rising up from the controls to announce, "I suppose we should be on our way to-"

He didn't finish that sentence, letting it hang in the air as he remembered there was no one there with him. He heard the hum of the console, and realised he never noticed how loud it had been until now. When was the last time the TARDIS was as quiet as this? Was it a life time ago? Multiple life time ago?

"I mean, I suppose I should be returning to-" he began again, but the slight correction did not allow him to finish the sentence. Where should he be returning to? No companion to return to Heathrow airport, no excited faces eager to be shown all the corners of the Universe to. He had nowhere to be.

Which meant, he realised, he could go wherever he wanted to go. Yes, the Doctor thought, no more having to be dragged along trying to return people to their house like a taxi service, or trying to educate youth like a field teacher. Now he was free to go anywhere in time and space.

He moved to set the coordinates on the TARDIS controls, but his mind could not come up with any coordinates he wanted to use. With so many options, how could he pick just one?

The Doctor looked up at his console and said to himself, "Well, I could never travel completely freely. Eventually someday the Time Lords, the Guardian or someone else will eventually send me on some sort of mission or galactic quest. There's no point getting busy involved in one thing, when I'd soon be called off."

And so the Doctor waited. And waited. And waited, for some sort of inspiration to tell him what to do next. Eventually a stray action lead to him turning on the scanner. The scanner revealed to the Doctor open parkland, a playground, and in the distance, a brightly and multi-coloured large circus tent. At the edges of the circus he could see a string of trailers, including some containing caged animals. A small crowd was forming around the ticket seller, eager to attend the next show. Watching it, the Doctor found what he had been needing — a distraction.

"Well, since I'm here," the Doctor began, his concern for possible missions by Time Lords or other mystical powers slowly disappearing as he viewed the scanner, "I might as well take a look."

* * *

The Doctor had left only a short time before Peri arrived back at the TARDIS, though she did not know this at the time. It had taken her some time to re-trace her steps, with her fear that the Doctor had already left her stranded delaying her further. Several times she had to remind herself "Just get to the TARDIS, Peri, then we can figure out what to do."

So returning to the parkland and seeing the familiar blue box did not fill her with joy as much as it did relief. She ran over to it, eager to be back somewhere familiar. However, as she pushed against the door handles, she found the door was locked.

"Doctor!" She called out, knocking at the door. "Doctor, it's Peri. Can you let me in please?"

The door remained closed, and no noise from the Doctor appeared. And finally all the fears and emotions Peri had tried to suppress came rushing up. Perhaps the Doctor was ignoring her, feeling offended by her departure. Perhaps this isn't even the Doctor's TARDIS. She tried to focus on what was certain, but the only certainty in Peri's mind was that she was in a foreign country with no money or way of going home.

In desperation Peri slumped to ground outside the front of the TARDIS. She felt the tears well up, as her sense of vulnerability and risk became more aware, and she no longer had the energy to hold them back. With a slight wail, she felt the tears casting their way down her cheeks, and leaving dots of darkness on the ground in front of her.

"Excuse me, do you need some help?" Peri heard a young woman, with a clear Australian accent call out to her.

Peri did not even look up. How could she even begin to explain her problem to strangers? So she waved them away and answered, "I don't even know where to start."

"Well," the woman answered, her voice getting closer, "You could start by saying how the Doctor has messed up this time."

The mention of the Doctor startled Peri into alertness. She looked up to see a brunette woman with short hair around her age, dressed in loose clothing, holding two large plastic bags in one hand while extending the other to her.

"Hi, my name's Tegan Jovanka,"


	2. Chapter 2

Peri took the woman's hand and felt herself being pulled up.

"Hi...thanks," Peri answered, still a bit startled. "I'm Perpugilliam...Peri Brown. I don't really know...you know the Doctor?"

"Oh yes, the Doctor and I go way back," she answered raising her eyes while she talked. Tegan released Peri, then slapped her open palm hard against the TARDIS door while yelling, "Oi, Doctor! Open up, it's Tegan."

"He's not there, at least I think he's not there," Peri answered. "I've tried that already."

"So you two have lost each other?"

"Kind of like that," Peri answered.

"Well, no point just sticking around waiting. That way always leads to trouble. Let's see if we can't sort some things out," she said. From one of her bags she pulled out a marker and a cricket bat. Upon the bat she wrote a message _Dear Doctor, Merry Christmas. Don't leave without saying goodbye — Tegan & Peri _and left it leaning against the front of the TARDIS door.

"It's Christmas?" Peri asked.

"Not yet. Christmas Eve though. I had just picked this up for my nephew, but I can always get him one from the Sales later. And this is more important anyway — a note to make sure he doesn't leave without you," Tegan explained. "How did you two get separated anyway?"

"It's...it's a long story," Peri answered. She was unsure she was in the right frame of mind to give all her answers just yet.

"And in that case, how about I go get you a coffee somewhere? Sounds like we have a lot to talk about."

Looking back at the TARDIS and seeing the cricket bat was still there, Peri turned to Tegan and nodded.

* * *

As the Doctor walked into the circus grounds he heard the ballyhoo of the ring master announcing the show, shortly about to commence. The Doctor moved swiftly towards the ticket counter, where a teenager with half opened eyes stared back, barely registering his arrival. It then occurred to the Doctor he was not sure he had correct currency.

Deciding confidence can make up for currency, the Doctor thrust his hand into his pocket, and threw a handful of coins and notes onto the seller's register. "One ticket for this show please," the Doctor asked.

If there had been any issue with the Doctor's payment, the teen did not register it. Without a word, and barely a blink, they pulled a ticket off and passed it over to the Doctor. The Doctor gave his thanks and walked into the big tent.

The circus was busy, but not too busy the Doctor couldn't find a seat ringside to the action. Around him he could see a mixed collection of families, couples and individuals ready for the show.

The sound of a cracking whip brought everyone's attention to the centre of the performance arena, as the ring master entered. He was a short man, dressed in red and white striped pants and jacket, with a large top hat perched on his head. A moustache curled on his upper lip as he grinned to the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" He called out, then took a deep breath before throwing his hands in the air almost screaming "Are you ready for the greatest show on Earth!"

Before the audience could answer, the tent was filled with the sound of trumpets, carnival organs, and stringed instruments all mixed together in a cacophony of noise. From one side of the ring, a string of performers began to walk around the edge of the ring. Clowns, followed by jugglers, followed by a trio of bald youths and —

_Help us_

The thought stabbed into the Doctor's mind like an ice pick. It appeared in the sound of a multitude of girl's voices playing simultaneously. The Doctor looked around to see if it he could find the source, but saw no knowing looks from those in the circus tent. Each of the performers walking past, with the newer performers now escorting some animals, showed no particular interest in the Doctor, or anyone else. They did, however, have the same look in their eye. The Doctor wasn't sure exactly what it was, but he saw the expression was broadly the same for all performers.

And, the Doctor noticed, he could see the same eyes in the animals too. But, the Doctor noticed, they were not exactly animals. At first glance the elephants looked like elephants, the lions looked like lions, and he doubted anyone in the audience would have suspected anything different. They wouldn't, for instance, notice that the elephants were walking on five fingered feet, or that the lions' paws had opposable thumbs.

"The elephants are Pachyanderans. The Lions are from Asphinx III," the Doctor said to himself. "These animals are all aliens."

The Performers and their animals left as quickly as they entered, leaving the Ring master by himself again.

"And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very proud to introduce to you the grand psychics of renown, the Triplets of Bellaire!"

As the crowd clapped, the three bald youths entered the ring again, this time carrying a set of cards, and an easel. They were appearing identical, pale faced heads atop long black cloaks, looking straight ahead with the same look as all other performers. As they entered the stage, one of the triplets glanced briefly to the Doctor with their copper coloured eyes.

_Doctor!_

The thought again caused pain as it shot through the Doctor's mind.

_Help us!_

The Doctor looked at the triplets for any further messages, but they had all returned to looking blankly into the audience as they set up their act. As the Doctor watched two of the triplets tied a blindfold around the head of the third. The blindfolded triplet began the shuffle the cards in their hands, as their siblings began to draw symbols of the easel. The blindfolded triplet suddenly pulled a card up, and the crowd cheered as the card matched the drawn symbol on the easel.

It was a symbol of a key. Again the thought pierced his brain

_Doctor!_

_Help us!_

_Free us!_

* * *

Peri was looking around the cafe nervously. He could have left by now. He could leave at any minute. And she knew he wanted to. He pushed her out of the door because he wanted her gone. And now she was going to be alone in a foreign country.

As her eyes darted around she saw Tegan returning to their table, carrying two large plastic bags, and a tray with two mugs of coffee on top. No, she told herself, I'm not alone, not completely.

"I...I don't have any money," Peri answered nervously.

"No worries," Tegan said, sitting down opposite her. "I don't know if there is a strict etiquette on lost companions of the Doctor, but I'm happy to start one now. Tell you what, if you find a younger version of me stumbling around your hometown in the future you can buy her a coffee. Sound fair?"

Peri smiled and nodded. She liked Tegan, and her light heartedness was helping Peri be put at ease despite the fear of being stuck away from the Doctor and home.

"What do you do?" Peri asked, as she drank her coffee, then clarified, "Since you stopped travelling?"

Tegan laughed, "I never stopped travelling. I was an air hostess when I met the Doctor, still am since I left him. That much hasn't changed, though it is nice to actually know where I'm going before I take off."

Peri laughed. It was a sort of tired, knowing laugh as while Tegan was bringing up what was making her nervous, the humour continued to provide some relief.

"I guess that part doesn't change either," Peri answered. "Asked for Baltimore America, got Brisbane Australia."

"Asked for Heathrow, got Heathrow in the eighteenth century, or the time of the dinosaurs," Tegan nodded. "The Doctor doesn't really change."

Peri looked downwards, "Until he does..."

Tegan faced dropped slightly as she recognised Peri's experience. "He regenerated for you too?"

"Yeah," Peri answered. "It's fine, I know about it now, it's just that...I rely on him. At least I thought I did, and then suddenly he's different, but I still have to rely on him."

"You've got no one else, no one travelling with you?" Tegan asked.

"No, no one. Just me and him."

"Oh you poor girl," Tegan said, reaching out to lightly cup Peri's hand. "I can't imagine — going through it was enough for me with friends, but alone..."

"It's like, when I started travelling he was this calm, supportive guy, who might not know everything that was going on, but would always try to help out, you know? Then suddenly, he falls over, and there's someone new. Someone who I need to keep calm, who doesn't check up on how I'm doing, is completely self obsessed, who pretends to know everything and - this isn't what I thought it would be."

"It never is," Tegan answered, looking upwards as she recalled her time in the TARDIS. "Like I said, I can't imagine how it was for you. I had someone with me. Not a good friend, to be honest I barely knew her, but going through it with someone meant it was a shared burden. Still though, when I first met him, he was the man who always knew what was going on, and so even as lost as I was, I felt confident he would sort it out, and all I had to do was support him. Suddenly he is the person needing to be carried around, and leaving us in charge."

"Is that why you left?" Peri asked.

"No. It would have been if he managed to get me home soon enough," Tegan explained, and both women laughed again. Regaining her composure she continued, "But I did stay. Even returned travelling with him when he did eventually get me home. Because I realised just as I was trying to figure out who this new Doctor was, he was slowly figuring out who he was too, and I had a part to play in that. We're lucky in a way, us humans."

"How?"

"We change our gradually personalities over time, in reaction to life events. It makes it more predictable. Time Lords suddenly have their personality change without warning suddenly, and have to figure out themselves again afterwards. The Doctor needs us around I guess, to help him find that personality, to stop him ending up like all the other stuffed shirts on Gallifrey."

"It would be nice to have some appreciation for all this help we do," Peri answered. "That really is the biggest change for me. I just wish for a second I knew he wanted me to be around, that he is aware of the help I give."

"He knows, but he might not be able to figure out how to say it yet," Tegan answered. "Communication is something the new incarnation seems to have difficulty learning."

Peri thought over Tegan's words as she sipped at her drink, before asking "Why did you leave?"

Tegan put down her drink, needing to prepare herself for the memories, "We had returned to London, and a lot of people had died. That was the trigger. It wasn't the first time I had seen people die while travelling with the Doctor, but to see so many, so close to home, I felt I had to run away from everything. Not just the violence, but the Doctor, the TARDIS, I just wanted to get back to normalcy."

Peri nodded, and Tegan picked it up. "You felt the same with your Doctor?"

Peri smiled, "It wasn't so sudden. Not just one event. But so many over time made that same feeling, the need to go home."

"It doesn't last though," Tegan responded with a smile. "I only got about fifty metres away from the TARDIS before I came running back. It was too late though, the TARDIS had gone."

"Why did you not keep running?"

Tegan gave a slight smile, "I never lost the travel bug. As I was walking out of that warehouse, ready to leave the TARDIS behind, another part of me said to get back to the TARDIS, that the fastest way to run away from this death and destruction is in a TARDIS, and that with so much death and uncertainty in the world, I needed to be around safe places and trustworthy people. And even now there's no one I trust like the Doctor."

"But you were too late."

"I was, and I was sad about it. Really sad. But in the long run better," Tegan explained. "The TARDIS is a great way to run away from things, even things you shouldn't run away from. Things like a stable job, a house, a relationship, better connections with family — I couldn't keep any of them and travel in the TARDIS, and when you are travelling, if you are like me, it's hard to give up the excitement for normalcy. That doesn't mean I didn't want normalcy eventually though. So it took a while, but after leaving the TARDIS I really took advantage of what I had been missing out on at home. There's a time to leave the TARDIS, and my time was then."

Tegan looked directly at Peri to ask "Was it your time to leave the TARDIS now? Are you ready for real life again?"

"I don't know," Peri answered, shrugging her shoulders. "I really don't know. I did want to go home, but maybe I also wanted to stay and talk about home to see if he would actually care. I guess though the more time it takes, the more likely he will leave me behind like he left you, won't he?"

Tegan shook her head, "He might have changed, but he never changes that much. That's what regeneration has taught me. But you know his current personality better than I do. Close your eyes, think about the Doctor, and ask yourself, after he saw the message we left, after he found out he was in the wrong country, would he ever abandon you?"

Peri closed her eyes and thought over the question. Visualised the Doctor in her mind, not solely the blonde haired cricket enthusiast she initially met, nor the loud and moody man he turned into but both of them together. And the answer became clear in her mind.

"No," she answered. "He never would leave if there was the slightest doubt."

"Didn't think so," Tegan said. "So let's go find him."

* * *

The Doctor had waited for a space between acts to quietly remove himself from the audience, with the hope he would not gain too much attention. The audience largely were entranced as the next act, trapeze artists, propelled themselves through the air, and so apart from those the Doctor walked past to exit, he was largely ignored as he left.

Outside the tent, the circus grounds was now eerily quiet. No animals made noise, no odd footsteps in the distance. The Doctor was determined to take advantage of this quiet period to find where the remaining acts were being kept.  
Walking around the outside of the main circus tent, he found a large completely enclosed caravan. This looked like a good place to start, the Doctor thought to himself. He found the entrance to the caravan, and was surprised to see the door not only was not locked, but also had no lock.

As the Doctor opened the door, the first thing that hit him was the smell. It certainly smelled like a caravan for wild animals. The light from the midday sun followed the Doctor in as he entered the unlit caravan. In the dimness, the Doctor could see bars on either side of the caravan, with a walkway in the middle. Inside each cell, the Doctor saw the outline of some animals, but could hear no sound, saw no movement from any of them.

The cell on his left was closest and was catching most of the outside light, allowing the Doctor a better look at the creature within. With a long drunk and dark grey wrinkly skin, the Doctor quickly recognised the Pachyderan he had seen before. In the circus it had looked fairly similar to an elephant, but in its cell the creature's alien nature was far more apparent.

Rather than laying down like an elephant, the Pachyderan sat on it bottom flat on the ground. Its legs were crossed in front of it, and its arms touched the ground either side of its hips to steady it. As the Doctor noticed the slight shallow breathing of the Pachyderan, which was also the only movement it was making, he thought it almost looked like the Pachyderan was in deep meditation.

Until he saw the eyes of the Pachyderan. Wide eyed, copper coloured, unblinking, pupils widened. They were the same colour eyes and displaying the same expression as the psychic triplet performance which had started the show. The Doctor could not understand the expression, but he knew this was not the look of someone at peace.

At the back wall of the cell, behind the Pachyderan the Doctor saw some flecks of colour. Opening the caravan day to let more light in, a mural was illuminated, showing many elephant like creatures like the Pachyderan in front of the Doctor, frolicking in a pink river, with mountains rising in the background.

"You made that picture, didn't you?" the Doctor asked.

The Pachyderan's eyes grew wider but they did not respond.

"What are you doing here living in a filthy caravan? Your people are artists. You are an artist. Who has made you live in your own filth like a beat?" the Doctor asked.

While the Pachyderan did not move, the Doctor noticed its lips moved. The Doctor leant closer to hear the whispers of the captive Pachyderan.  
But before he could hear any message, the Pachyderan leapt at the bars as they howled at the Doctor. The Doctor jumped back, though this did not produce any change in the Pachyderan, still growling and gnashing its teeth.

The Doctor then heard more noise. The creatures behind him joined in the chorus of the Pachyderan, shaking the bars as they let out nightmarish howls and barks. The Doctor noticed that while the creatures were all remaining entirely still while growling. And again, in the eyes of all the creatures the Doctor saw that same indecipherable expression in copper eyes.

"And what do you suppose you are doing here?"

The Doctor spun around to see the ringmaster had arrived behind him, brandishing the whip in one hand. The Doctor however was too angry to care about the ringmaster's weaponry.

"I am releasing these intelligent beings that are being locked by your cruel mockery of a circus!" the Doctor yelled back, scanning the ringmaster for a set of keys.

"Intelligent-ha!" the Ringmaster tilted his head back to laugh theatrically. "Look at them living in their own filth. You call that intelligent!"

"I know each and everyone one of these species. All intelligent beings. You've done something to them, something to make them degraded. But whatever it is, it ends now."

"You know them all? Really?" the Ring Master asked, raising an eyebrow curiously. The creatures in the pens started to move, and howl on either side of him. "You are remarkably well informed for a Level 2 species. And what makes you think I will simply stop my business on the word of a lost civilian?"

"I am no human being," the Doctor answered, having to raise his voice as the creatures became louder and louder, banging their limbs against the bars. "I am the Doctor, and a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. Your interference in these species will-"

"A Time Lord? In that dress up? No, I do not think so at all," the Ringmaster stated, interrupting the Doctor. "I think in your outfit you resemble, perhaps, a lord of prat falls."

The Doctor suddenly found himself falling backwards to the dusty circus ground, landing on his back with both feet up in the air. He tried to speak, to further intimidate the ring master, but found his mouth was sealed.

"Very good," the Ring master cheered, clapping at the Doctor's prone figure. "Perhaps a Lord of wall running?"  
The Doctor found he was suddenly on his feet again, and his legs were running to the wall of the trailer. No matter what he told his body to do, his legs began the run up the side of the wall, until gravity again sent the Doctor onto his back. The Doctor could hear the sound of the creatures was now deafening, but at the same time, his face was now as paralysed as his body.

The ring master walked to look directly over the Doctor's prone face. "I will admit, the idea of a Time Lord in my performance will be useful in time. When we host the Fleshsmiths of Zagrandia, your regenerative abilities will provide hours of entertainment. But on a planet such as this, I think you would be better suited to be my new clown."

The Doctor didn't react, and couldn't react. As he lay on the dusty floors, not even able to brush away the dust which had landed near his eyes, he suddenly realised he knew what he had seen in the eyes of the performers. The same thing he had seen in the eyes of the ticket collector, and now he knew it was the same things his eyes were saying.

They were the eyes of pleading. The eyes of screaming. The eyes of a person who was locked in their own body, screaming to be released.


	3. Chapter 3

The Cricket bat still was left standing up at the front of the TARDIS when Tegan and Peri returned to it. Tegan had guided Peri through some public areas of Brisbane, asking people she recognised if they had noticed any strange events recently, though no one could give information.

"He's not back at the TARDIS," Tegan said, "And if he is the city he's not getting into any trouble. And that's not like the Doctor I know."

"No," Peri agreed. "He always does seem to stand out whenever we are in large groups."

"So if he's not at the TARDIS, and no one is noticing him, maybe he's somewhere he fits in a bit better. Like, my Doctor would stand out anywhere, unless he was on the cricket pitch. Then no one would notice him," Tegan explained. "Is there a place you think your Doctor wouldn't stand out?"

Peri thought about the patchwork cloak, the yellow striped pants, and could think of nowhere the Doctor could go unnoticed. So instead Peri looked around the park the TARDIS had landed, to see if there was any landmarks which would give her an idea.

"What's that?' Peri asked, pointing to the Circus tent in the distance.

"It's the Circus. They come every year during the summer holidays, give the kids something to see when they finish school. It's been years since I saw them, but I hear there is a new company running it this season, with lots of new acts, and dropping the clowns, pony shows, and the other old fashioned acts," Tegan stated, going off on a tangent before correcting herself. "Anyway, we should focus. Think of the Doctor, how he looks, and see if anything comes to mind."

Peri could see her Doctor in her mind's eye. And it became clear the one place he could be where he would not be noticed. The one place where a clown suit like the Doctor wore is a work uniform.

"The circus," Peri told Tegan. "Let's look there."

"Really?' Tegan asked, confused. "Has he changed so much that he looks like a circus strongman or something?"

"Or something," Peri answered, walking towards the tent. Tegan followed quickly behind, increasingly eager to see this new Doctor and how different he could be from the man she knew.

* * *

"I promise you I will refund the ticket cost," Peri whispered to Tegan as they sat in the audience. They had been seated just in time for the next production, though Peri found herself scanning the audience for the Doctor, and not noticing the performances.

Tegan smiled and waved her hand dismissively, "Save it for the day you find me travelling or you stop travelling completely."

Further discussion was interrupted by the booming voice of the ring master filling the arena.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! We are very very proud to announce the newest act to our Circus, joining us tonight for his debut performance. The Hilarious, the clumsiest, Dr Whoops!"

The sound of a slow tuba melody filled the tent as the new performer entered the arena and suddenly fell over backwards on a prop banana peel, his feet standing straight up in the air, as the audience roared with laughter. The laughter continued as the clown repeatedly tried to get up, only to sleep on the same peel.

But Peri was not joining in any laughter. The clown had a heavy amount of face paint and make up, his shoes were several sizes too big, and his hair tinted bright red. Doctor Whoops acted like a clown, with none of the mannerisms or behaviour Peri was used to, but there was no mistaking his physical features.

Tegan noticed Peri staring at the clown, with a look of shock on her face.

"That's your Doctor?" Tegan asked. As Peri nodded in response, Tegan followed with "Is he normally dressed like a clown?"

"No," Peri answered quickly, then after looking at the Doctor's outfit and seeing a familiar jacket, clarified, "Well, not particularly like a clown."

"Any idea what he might be doing on the stage? Some secret plan that requires him to be a clown?" Tegan asked. It was unlikely, but remembering some of the Doctor's plans, becoming a clown as a secret identity did not seem to be too odd.

Peri shook her head and pointed at the Doctor for Tegan. "Look at his face. That's not someone who wants to be there."

Tegan followed her gaze to look at the Doctor's face. Even covered in makeup, she could see what Peri meant in the Doctor's eyes. Eyes that were pleading, not matching his body movements at all.

The Doctor got up from another fall, only to immediately drop into a somersault and roll right out of the arena as the audience went wild with laughter. The Ringmaster entered the ring and raised his arms to encourage applause.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, that was the one and only Doctor Whoops!" he cried out. "Shall we keep him on at our circus?"

As the audience cheered in the affirmative, Peri tapped Tegan on the shoulder. "The audience is loud enough; let's see if we can find where the Doctor is going."

Peri got up to leave, with Tegan following behind. The ring master was announcing a new act, a dancing elephant, so the audience cared little about two strangers leaving. As they emerged at the front of the ticket booth, still there was no reaction from the ticket seller, or any of the cleaning staff. Peri looked at the side of the tent and saw an alternate entrance.

"There's a door over there, Tegan. It doesn't look like it connects to the main entrance, so maybe this is where the circus performers are being kept," Peri explained, then telling Tegan "Follow me."

Peri got four steps when she heard Tegan respond, "I can't."

Peri turned back to face her new friend. "What?"

"I can't. I can't go back there," Tegan explained. Her face was slightly pale than it had been previously, and her expression showing a mixture of fear and sadness. "I thought I could, but I...I can't get back into this lifestyle anymore."

"Oh, okay," Peri responded, nodding slightly. "That's fine. Thank you for your help so far anyway."

"I know it's not fine, but...oh rabbits!" Tegan growled, most in annoyance to herself. "Goodbye Peri," she added, holding out a hand.

"Goodbye," Peri returned the farewell, shaking Tegan's hand. Then Tegan ran off, not looking back at Peri. Peri felt a huge burden had just been placed on her. Although they had not known each other long, having the support of a friend had made Peri feel more confident, and better able to help the Doctor. Now, she was on her own again.

But nothing had changed, Peri reminded herself. The person she was with Tegan's support is the same person she is on her own. She's still the person who can enter a mysterious circus to find the Doctor.  
And so with her confidence partially restored, this is exactly what Peri did.


	4. Chapter 4

Peri winced her nose as the smell hit her, but in a way appreciated it. The feelings of revulsion overshadowed her feelings of fear. But only temporarily, as Peri began to feel unsettled about the unnatural quiet of the cages.

Peri had been to circuses before, and been to zoos, and remembered being able to hear the animals arrive from great distances. Lions would roar throughout the night to declare their territory. But here, the occupants of the cells were completely silent, apart from gradual rustles of movement.

She moved quickly down the cages until she recognises the familiar colourful outfit of the Doctor at the back cell. He was sitting, crouched in a foetal ball amidst a bed of straw, gazing at his bars while breathing slowly.

"Doctor!" Peri hissed from outside his cage. He did not react at all so she hissed a bit louder, "Doctor! It's Peri."

The Doctor still did not move to acknowledge her, but Peri noticed a faint change in his breathing. The in breath almost sounded like "Per" and the out breath was a slow drawn out "Ri."

She listened for a few cycles until she was sure she thought she heard was correct, then said "Yes, it's me Doctor. What is happening to you?"

"Perrrrr...riiiiiiiii," the Doctor breathed, then closing his eyes as if in pain. The creatures in the other cells began make noise, growling and howling near her.

"Doctor, what's going on?" She asked, a little louder above the noise of the creatures.

"Perrrr...riiii," the Doctor breathed again a bit louder over the ever increasing din of the creatures, then suddenly turned his head to face her. His face was grimacing in pain, as he suddenly turned his head to face her and screamed "Run!"

Peri was shocked by the sudden movement and jumped back into another cell. The creature inside, pushed roughly against the bars, knocking Peri over. She turned and saw the creature, a stone creature glimmering and shimmering from its own incandescence, as it started to push against the bars again. She started to crawl away, as more and more creatures shook against the bars.

"Run!" The Doctor called out for her again, getting up to get to the bars.

Peri pushed herself up, looking back at the Doctor screaming at her, and the monsters around making more and more noise, with loud roars from the lions joining in with the trumpeting of the elephants. She tried to run for the exit, but found her legs couldn't move. Then she heard footsteps coming from the way she entered. Even among the sound of the creatures, the footsteps made an echo, as the ringmaster walked towards her, a riding crop held loosely from one hand.

"Another new performer for my circus," he muttered, as he slowly walked towards the still Peri. "What could we be doing with her?"

"Let her go Ringmaster!" the Doctor yelled. "You've got me. She's no use to-"

"Shh!" hissed the Ringmaster, silencing the Doctor with a click of his fingers. Peri felt her leg muscles responding as her legs pushed her weight forward.

"A pretty thing, isn't she?" the Ringmaster said, raising the whip to stroke down Peri's cheek. "We could make a lot as a dancer on some of the humanoid worlds..."

"I'm not going to do anything for you," Peri said threw gritted teeth. She grabbed the whip suddenly, but before she could pull it from him her arms ceased to move. Immediately the Doctor began to shake his bars more violently.

"A feisty one, but we can correct that," the ringmaster said slowly, with a sly grin. He pulled his crop back, and pointed directly at her as he ordered, "Dance for me, slave."

Peri felt her arms extending in slowly graceful movements of their own accord. Her legs began to stretch out to a pattern that she had never learnt, but her body knew which way it would go. Around her the creatures' cries grew more intense, as if they were cheering her on.

No...that wasn't right, Peri thought. Not cheering her on at all. Some of the creatures were throwing themselves at the bars, becoming more and more violent. None were noticing her, but they were reacting the same.

"Oh, very nice," the ringleader chuckled. "We will make a fortune on the human worlds, then dissect you for the mentors in off season. Every profit to be made."

"No!" The Doctor shouted out. A flick of the Ringmaster's wrist threw the Doctor against the back wall of his cell, and left him slumped on the ground.

He could talk. The animals could attack. The pieces connected. And Peri had a voice.

"You can't control us all!" She shouted with a smile, while her body still danced under the instructions of the ringleader.

"Silence girl!"

"Every time you try to control a new person it takes away your attention from all those you have already controlled," Peri explained loudly for all to hear. "That's why the Doctor could speak, the aliens are fighting back, because you can't stop them right now. If they break through their bars-"

"I SAID SILENCE!" The Ringmaster shouted, and Peri felt her jaw slam shut. But she could see the rock creature was testing out her theory on the bars, punching the same bar over and over, to create dents in it. Next to it a large elephant type creature was beginning to pull at the bars with its trunk.

"You think your human mind can delay me long enough for anyone to escape? You think you are the first one to try this," the ringmaster snarled. "Oh, I am going to have fun playing with you when you are a mindless husk. So much pain, so much torture, and so much-"

There was a dull heavy sound Peri could hear in front of her, but all she could see was the Ringmaster suddenly stop talking, his face look a bit confused, and then him slumping to the ground. Standing behind him was Tegan, holding a splintered cricket bat.

"Rubbish quality anyway," Tegan remarked, throwing the broken bat on top of the Ringmaster's body.

Peri felt control and feeling return to her body, and immediately hugged Tegan.

"Thank you," she whispered to her new friend.

Tegan returned the hug, but only quickly, as she explained, "We need to get these aliens out before he wakes up. Where are his keys?"

"No need for keys, Magnus is stronger than any door," came a gravelly voice from a cell. Both women turned to see the rock creature with a large smile raising both club sized fists in front of his cell door, and with one swift blow, breaking his own door down.

Peri returned his smile. "Well, nice to meet you Magnus!"


	5. Chapter 5

Magnus had made quick work of the remaining cells, freeing all the creature. Tegan had offered to sit on the ringmaster while the aliens sought out a more permanent solution to them, and Peri took this opportunity to check in on the Doctor. She noticed the ringmaster's work had left the Doctor with some cuts and bruises but he was beginning to stir.

"The Doctor is waking up," she said, turning back to where she had left Tegan. But instead of a plucky Australian, all Peri saw was the ringmaster, tied up with bars from the cages, with a bucket on his head. Peri didn't want to think about where the bucket came from. Around him sat the triplets, each sister taking turns to blink so that the Ringmaster was never left unwatched.

"Where did Tegan go?" she asked the elephant man, who looked back at her confused. "The other human woman, where is she?"

"She left," the elephant man trumpeted, and then dragged the ringmaster into one of the empty cells.

* * *

"Well, the controls aren't exactly what you are used to," the Doctor explained, leaving the controls of the main tent to join Peri and some of the creatures, "But they seem simple enough to get a grip on."

"Good," Magnus said. "Magnus good pilot, can pilot anything."

"And I was the navigator for my craft when I was captured," the Pachyderan, Zarbar, explained. "We will have a few stops to get to, if we are to return all these people to their proper planets, but with the coordinates the triplets have provided I should be able to develop a fast route."

"Good, good," the Doctor muttered, "But I think I will need to have a brief chat with the triplets. That Ringmaster is a tricky fellow, and I would like to make sure he isn't able to find a way to escape their custody."

"I wouldn't worry Doctor," Zarbar explained. "Since your companion showed us we can overpower him, we will be able to restrain him if he slips out. He will not escape justice."

"And bucket good," Magnus explained with a big grin. "Naughty thoughts no escape bucket. Good bucket, if smell a little though."

Peri smiled and laughed a little. She had been initially so relieved to see the Doctor return to normal away from the Ringmaster's control, she didn't notice how the other creatures had returned. But now she could see what intelligent and delightful personalities they had when they weren't treated like entertainment. A part of her felt guilty for the circuses she had enjoyed in the past, but a larger part tried to enjoy the sound of Magnus continuing to talk about the bucket.

"All the same, it would be good to be sure," The Doctor insisted, interrupting Magnus.

"Very well, they are in the cargo tent," Zarbar explained, pointing with his trunk.

"Thank you," the Doctor said, and began to walk off. Peri began to follow him, until she saw a familiar face. Amongst the confused human ticket sellers stumbling around as their awareness returned she was seen as just one more human to most residents of the the Circus. But Tegan was much more familiar to Peri.

"I'll join you later," she said to the Doctor. He responded with a brief "hmph" as he continued to the triplets, leaving Peri to go walk to where Tegan was standing, at the front of the ticket booth, still with a broken cricket bat in one hand.

"You came back?" Peri asked, slightly surprised.

"Yeah, we didn't really have time to talk earlier," Tegan answered, looking uncharacteristically sheepish. Peri had not known her long but seeing Tegan like this, shifty, uncomfortable, looking aside, was so different than the brash young woman who found her distressed outside the TARDIS. "Is he okay?"

"Was he ever?" Peri said, with a smiled. "He's the same Doctor I knew before."

"But not the one you knew...before," Tegan responded, and both women nodded.

"He's just over in the cargo tent, helping everyone prepare to go home," Peri explained, gesturing in the Doctor's direction. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you again."

Tegan breathed deeply through her teeth, "I'm sure he would, I'm sure I would be too. So much of me wants to follow you to see him, to ruffle his hair, make fun of his silly outfit, and just hear all the sciencey mumbo jumbo he will spout about what happened. But I know it won't stop there."

"It doesn't have to," Peri explained, taking Tegan's hand. "The TARDIS is big enough for both of us. I could do with the company, just like you did when your Doctor changed."

"But where will it end?" Tegan asked, gently removing her hand from Peri's. "I know I could walk back into the TARDIS today with you and him, and never look back. But I also know I have a life here now, and people who I matter to. The time travelling with the Doctor was amazing, a pure fantasy, but I live in the real world. It's time for you to have the dream."

Peri nodded, smiling but with faint tears budding in her eyes. "I understand, or I think I do."

"Look after him," Tegan said, patting Peri on the shoulder. "He needs that."

"I will," Peri answered, then quickly gave the other woman a tight hug. "If we ever run into each other again-"

"In my future or yours," Tegan added.

"We'll make sure we're not alone, right?"

"Right," Tegan answered, stepping back from Peri. "When the journey ends for you, get in touch."

"I will."

"And one last thing," Tegan added, handing Peri the broken cricket bat. "My nephew won't be wanting this anymore. He has enough cricket stuff anyway. Tell him it's a Christmas present from an old friend."

* * *

The final goodbyes made, Peri walked to the Cargo tent, where the Doctor was already exiting. Peri glanced backwards, but saw Tegan had already left.

"What are you doing with that rubbish for?" the Doctor asked, pointing to the bat.

"I ran into an old friend of yours, she suggested it as a present for you," Peri explained, handing it over.

The Doctor held it out in front of him, and read "Dear Doctor, merry... well that ended abruptly. Who on Earth would think this was an acceptable present?"

The Doctor opened the cargo net and threw it inside. Peri stood mouth open in surprise in front of him.

"Oh never mind Peri. I'm sure the friend would want it to go to a good home. The aliens here probably will see it as a memorial of their liberation and it would be more important to them than as yet another trinket in the TARDIS."

"The Ringmaster is secured away?" Peri asked, nodding towards the tent.

The Doctor nodded, "Yes, yes. The triplets were already managing well enough, but a few extra psychic restraints helped make it certain. He is a very powerful psychic force, but I had been developing ways to minimise his power earlier."

"Oh were you?" Peri asked sceptically. "If I recall correctly Doctor, he had turned you into a clown and was ridiculing you for his entertainment."

"Just a subterfuge, that's all Peri. Given a little more time I would have broken out of his conditioning, and freed the others. I was working on something already when you came to my cage and distracted me," the Doctor grumbled, walking off. As Peri followed him, he added, slightly quietly "Thank you though."

Peri was left a bit stunned. "Did you just thank me?"

"Yes, of course I did. What of it? Just because I didn't need your help doesn't mean I am not grateful it was supplied," the Doctor said, his voice returning to its usual volume.

"You've never done this before," Peri responded.

"Of course I have. I thank you all the time, you just forget these things," the Doctor said. Peri thought she could be mistaken, but it seemed the Doctor was talking, and now walking faster, almost like he was trying to get away from the topic. *

_Time lords change, but not that much_, Peri thought as Tegan's words returned to her memory. _He is finding out a bit of who he is, and how much of that was the man he was before. A voyage of self discover for both of them._

"Why not?" she asked herself, then walked quickly to catch up with the Doctor.

"Ah, there you are. I thought you were going to stay here," the Doctor said in a low tone.

"Well, firstly this isn't near my home-"

"Oh?"

"It's actually on the opposite side of the world to my home-"

"Oh... Well, I'm sure we can organise a way for you to get back."

"I've been thinking, maybe not right yet," Peri answered, linking her arm with the Doctor's. "I think my journey isn't over yet."

The Doctor gave a slight smile, and pulled her closer as they walked. "Well, where to next Miss Brown?"

Peri thought it over for a minute. "Definitely not a circus...but something fun would be nice. Somewhere where we can see happy people on holiday, and not have to deal with a crisis each minute," she said, then a thought came to her. "I know...how about we go to B-"


End file.
